Vivid Light

Highlights

From May to June, Vivid Light has walls that talk, shadows that spring into colour and building facades that reveal a hidden world of magic. The city transforms into a night-time wonderland through large-scale illuminations, laser lightshows and 3D-mapped projections.

About Vivid Light

The world-renowned projections on the Sails of the Sydney Opera House is a major highlight of Vivid Light, beginning the festival. In 2016 the Sails celebrated the world of Australian Indigenous art, depicting the interconnected sharing systems and trade routes that still weave through time and distance, earth and sky.

The world-famous Vivid Light Walk showcases more than 60 spectacular light art installations, large-scale illuminations and mesmerising 3D-mapped building projections to light up Sydney’s waterfront. A series of waterside installations adorn the foreshore of Campbells Cove, also one of the best vantage points for viewing the Lighting of the Sails.

Follow the series of interactive and immersive light art sculptures and installations from The Rocks, past the spectacular display upon the Museum of Contemporary Art, through to Customs House, and onto other illuminated areas of the city, where the brilliant light-plays will capture your imagination.

In 2016 Botanic Garden Sydney also displayed brilliant light-shows, with an illuminated sea-wall and a wonderland of trees and bushes that glowed and shimmered. A central feature was the Cathedral of Light, an immense arched tunnel that was 60m long and 8m high.

Vivid Sydney’s wildest precinct in 2016 was Taronga Zoo, featuring an illuminated trail of amazing and endangered species, from the magnificent Asian Elephant to the vividly coloured Corroboree Frog. As in previous years, Darling Harbour also provided thrilling spectacles with a sleeping dragon brought to life by the spectacular Laser-Dragon Water-Theatre.

Enjoying the brilliant spectacle from the comfort of a harbour ferry or cruise vessel is also bound to be as spellbinding as ever. The many cruise vessels and ferries that travel around the harbour will be decorated with brilliant lights that change colour as they enter the different Vivid precincts.

After smashing records in 2016 with 2.3 million visitors, Vivid Sydney 2017 promises to follow up its predecessor in every way. Stay tuned for the full 2017 program of events at vividsydney.com/light